Phase change thermal protection aircraft carrier flame shield and use method thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a phase-change thermal protection aircraft carrier flame shield and its use method. The flame shield comprises primary and secondary phase-change flame shields, support rods, phase-change material, connecting pipes, and a seawater-assisted cooling plate. The primary and secondary phase-change flame shields consist of a high-temperature heat-conducting layer on the flame-facing surface, and adaptive piston plates on the main cavity and back-flame surface. The main cavity is filled with phase-change material, and the adaptive piston plates can move like pistons within the main cavity. The support rods are adjustable in length and angle to facilitate securement with the back-flame surface of the phase-change flame shield. The connecting pipes connect the main cavities of the primary and secondary phase-change flame shields. The seawater-assisted cooling plate is positioned directly below the phase-change flame shield. The present invention utilizes the interaction between the carrier aircraft wake and the support rods to self-drive the phase-change material to maintain efficient contact melting. The phase-change material's separate "melting-solidification coexistence" mode enables continuous and uninterrupted operation, improving the heat transfer limit while also overcoming the technical bottleneck of intermittent operation of the phase-change flame shield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of takeoff auxiliary devices for aircraft carriers, and in particular relates to an efficient and reliable phase-change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield that can withstand high flow density and work uninterruptedly for a long time, and a method for using the same. Background Art

[0002] Aircraft carriers, large surface vessels whose primary combat weapons are carrier-based aircraft, have become a strategic core force in modern naval development. However, during takeoff, the exhaust gas from the tail nozzle of a carrier-based aircraft can reach velocities exceeding thousands of meters per second and temperatures approaching 2000°C, posing a significant threat to the rear deck, equipment, and personnel. Furthermore, unlike land-based military airfields, the flight deck of an aircraft carrier is confined, making it difficult for aircraft to take off. Therefore, placing a flame shield behind the tail nozzle of a carrier-based aircraft not only fully utilizes the deck space but also protects equipment, aircraft, and personnel in the wake from the high-temperature airflow. This has become an effective method for assisting carrier-based aircraft takeoffs both domestically and internationally.

[0003] To effectively improve the launch efficiency of carrier-based aircraft and enhance the rapid response capabilities of aircraft carriers, modern naval development is increasingly demanding high-performance aircraft carrier blast deflectors capable of continuous operation for extended periods of time. However, efficient cooling of aircraft carrier blast deflectors has consistently hindered their technological development. Currently, common cooling methods for aircraft carrier blast deflectors can be categorized as active or passive. Actively cooled blast deflectors typically rely on high-flow cold seawater or high-powered fans to maintain proper operation. While these methods offer superior heat dissipation capabilities, their cooling systems are complex and bulky, resulting in high operating and maintenance costs. Furthermore, they consume significant energy during operation, placing a significant energy burden on aircraft carriers, particularly conventionally powered aircraft carriers. Passively cooled blast deflectors, on the other hand, primarily utilize insulating materials such as high-density aviation ceramic sheets or ablative cooling layers on their surfaces for thermal protection. However, these insulating materials are expensive, and the ablative layer is non-renewable, resulting in high costs and low durability. Furthermore, some aircraft carrier blast deflectors employ a passive cooling solution using heat pipes. While these methods are inexpensive and require minimal maintenance, they suffer from heat transfer limitations and lack continuous operation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop high-efficiency, low-consumption aircraft carrier flame shields so that they can support intensive carrier-based aircraft takeoff missions for a long time and continuously without occupying too much aircraft carrier energy, space and payload.

[0004] Given the advantages of phase change materials (PCMs), such as near-isothermal phase change and enormous latent heat, PCM thermal protection cooling technology can achieve localized heat dissipation and uniform heat transfer of high heat fluxes on aircraft carrier blast deflectors, preventing excessive temperatures and thermal stresses that could affect performance. This technology also avoids the excessive energy consumption, space, and payload requirements of traditional cooling methods, providing a preferred solution for efficient and reliable cooling of aircraft carrier blast deflectors. However, the limited thermal conductivity of most PCMs restricts the heat transfer limits and stability of current PCM thermal protection blast deflectors. Furthermore, the inherent intermittent nature of the melting and solidification processes of PCMs prevents them from operating continuously for extended periods of time. These significant challenges significantly limit their promotion and application on aircraft carriers. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a phase-change thermal protection aircraft carrier flame deflector and a method for using the same. The phase-change thermal protection aircraft carrier flame deflector utilizes the kinetic energy of the carrier aircraft exhaust to drive the internal portion of the phase-change flame deflector to maintain continuous and efficient contact melting, and utilizes the phase-change material separation "melting-solidification coexistence" working mode to achieve uninterrupted continuous operation. This not only improves the heat transfer limit and temperature uniformity level, but also breaks the intermittent operation characteristics of traditional aircraft carrier phase-change flame deflectors on a time scale, thereby improving the working efficiency and service life of the aircraft carrier flame deflector.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the specific technical solutions of the present invention are as follows:

[0007] A phase-change heat-protective aircraft carrier flame deflector includes a primary phase-change flame deflector, a secondary phase-change flame deflector support rod, phase-change material, a connecting pipe, and a seawater auxiliary cooling plate. The primary and secondary phase-change flame deflectors are connected by an axial hinge and can rotate 0-180 degrees circumferentially to switch operating modes.

[0008] The main phase change flame baffle and the auxiliary phase change flame baffle are composed of a main cavity, a high temperature resistant heat conductive layer embedded on the flame facing surface of the main cavity, and an adaptive piston plate on the flame back surface;

[0009] The phase change material is filled in the main cavity, and the adaptive piston plate is constrained by an elastic slide rail arranged on the inner wall of the main cavity, and can perform piston motion parallel to the flame surface in the main cavity under the action of external force;

[0010] One end of the support rod is fixed to the flight deck of the aircraft carrier by means of a hinge connection, and its length and angle can be adjusted so as to be connected and fixed to the back flame surface of the main phase change flame baffle or the auxiliary phase change flame baffle which is under thermal shock at the other end; the connecting pipe is connected to the main cavity inside the main phase change flame baffle and the auxiliary phase change flame baffle, and the seawater auxiliary cooling plate is arranged directly below the main phase change flame baffle and the auxiliary phase change flame baffle, and is in close contact with the main phase change flame baffle or the auxiliary phase change flame baffle for cooling.

[0011] The present invention also discloses a method for using a phase-change heat-protection aircraft carrier flame shield. Under the impact of the high-temperature and high-speed wake of the carrier-based aircraft, the high-temperature resistant heat-conductive layer on the flame-facing surface of the main phase-change flame shield melts the solid phase-change material inside the main cavity into liquid; at the same time, with the help of the combined action of the high-speed wake on the flame-facing surface and the support rod on the back flame surface, the adaptive piston plate passively presses the solid phase-change material close to the high-temperature resistant heat-conductive layer to continuously maintain an efficient constant temperature contact melting mode, and the liquid phase-change material at the melting front is also squeezed into the interior of the secondary phase-change flame shield through the connecting pipe.

[0012] When the phase change material in the main phase change flame shield plate melts, the molten phase change material entering the auxiliary phase change flame shield plate is simultaneously cooled and solidified by the seawater auxiliary cooling plate and the heat storage capacity is restored, thereby forming a separate "melting-solidification coexistence" working mode of the phase change material in the main and auxiliary phase change flame shield plates. When the phase change material in the main phase change flame shield plate is completely melted, the molten phase change material in the auxiliary phase change flame shield plate is also completely solidified.

[0013] The main and auxiliary phase change flame shield plates are connected by an axial hinge and can rotate 0-180 degrees along the circumferential direction. The uninterrupted and continuous operation of the phase change flame shield plates can be achieved through the cyclic switching of the main and auxiliary phase change flame shield plates.

[0014] Furthermore, the inner wall of the main cavity of the phase change flame baffle is surface treated, including but not limited to one or more composite strengthening methods selected from spraying polymer nano coatings, high temperature sintering porous layers, and chemical oxidation deposition micro-nanoporous layers.

[0015] Furthermore, the high-temperature resistant thermal conductive layer material of the flame-facing surface of the phase change flame deflector has high temperature resistance and high thermal conductivity, including but not limited to high-temperature resistant thermal conductive materials such as high-temperature titanium alloy, aluminum nitride ceramic or BeOt ceramic. The materials of the main cavity and adaptive piston plate of the phase change flame deflector include but are not limited to copper, aluminum, stainless steel and alloys.

[0016] Furthermore, the material of the seawater-assisted cooling plate is selected from high-temperature corrosion-resistant materials such as Monel400 copper-nickel alloy, NS333 solid solution-strengthened nickel-based alloy and NS336 austenitic alloy that are resistant to seawater corrosion.

[0017] Furthermore, the phase change thermal protection aircraft carrier flame baffle is characterized in that the phase change material includes but is not limited to high-temperature phase change materials such as crystalline hydrated salts, molten salts and metal alloys.

[0018] Furthermore, the seawater auxiliary cooling plate is cooled by being in close contact with the main phase change flame baffle plate or the auxiliary phase change flame baffle plate through a high thermal conductivity pad.

[0019] In summary, the phase-change thermal protection aircraft carrier flame deflector proposed in this invention offers significant advantages over existing aircraft carrier flame deflectors. First, the invention utilizes the kinetic energy of the carrier aircraft's wake to self-drive the internal structure of the phase-change flame deflector, maintaining efficient, close contact and melting. Furthermore, the inner wall of the main cavity of the phase-change flame deflector undergoes a special surface treatment and is coupled with a seawater-assisted cooling plate to accelerate the solidification of the liquid phase-change material within the phase-change flame deflector and restore its heat storage capacity. More importantly, to meet the requirements of frequent takeoffs and landings of carrier aircraft, the invention proposes a highly efficient operating mode in which the primary and secondary phase-change flame deflectors are alternately used, achieving uninterrupted operation of the aircraft carrier flame deflector.

[0020] The phase-change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield and its use method of the present invention have the following advantages:

[0021] The proposed phase-change thermal protection aircraft carrier blast deflector utilizes the kinetic energy of the aircraft's wake to drive solid-state phase-change material toward the blast deflector's heated surface, inducing passive, efficient, stable, and constant-temperature close-contact melting. This significantly improves the instantaneous heat transfer limit of existing phase-change cooling technology. Furthermore, the liquid phase-change material, relegated to another phase-change blast deflector, rapidly cools under the combined action of seawater-assisted cooling plates and specially treated inner surfaces, achieving a separate "melting-solidification coexistence" operating mode for the phase-change material. More importantly, the alternating operation of the primary and secondary phase-change blast deflectors ensures uninterrupted operation of the aircraft carrier blast deflector. Based on this operating mechanism, the present invention addresses the low heat transfer efficiency of conventional shipborne phase-change blast deflectors and overcomes the technical bottleneck of intermittent melting and solidification of conventional phase-change materials. This enables long-term, continuous operation of aircraft carrier blast deflectors, providing an effective solution for high-frequency, low-energy, high-efficiency, and high-reliability aircraft carrier blast deflectors while meeting heat dissipation requirements, structural strength, and related strategic requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 (a) is an axonometric view of the phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield device of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 1 (b) is an exploded view of the phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield device of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 (a) is an axonometric view of the phase change flame shield of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 (b) is a cross-sectional view of the phase change flame shield of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 (c) is an exploded view of the phase change flame shield of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a working principle diagram of the phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 (a) is a schematic diagram of the working mode of the main phase change flame deflector of the phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame deflector of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 (b) is a schematic diagram of the working mode of the secondary phase change flame deflector of the phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame deflector of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the phase change thermal protection aircraft carrier flame shield cycle operation.

[0031] Explanation of the markings in the figure: 1a, main phase change flame deflector; 1b, secondary phase change flame deflector; 2, support rod; 3, phase change material; 4, connecting pipe; 5, seawater auxiliary cooling plate; 6, main cavity; 7, high thermal conductivity pad; 8, high temperature resistant thermal conductive layer; 9, adaptive piston plate; 10, elastic slide rail; 11, supporting force; 12, carrier-based aircraft wake; 13, wake impact force; 14, phase change material migration direction; 15, flight deck. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to better understand the purpose, structure and function of the present invention, the following is a further detailed description of a phase change thermal protection aircraft carrier flame shield and its use method of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 (a) and Figure 1 (b) is a schematic diagram of a phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame baffle device, comprising a main phase change flame baffle 1a, a secondary phase change flame baffle 1b, a support rod 2, a phase change material 3, a connecting pipe 4 and a seawater auxiliary cooling plate 5. One end of the support rod 2 is fixed to the flight deck 15 of the aircraft carrier by a hinge connection. Its length and angle can be adjusted so that it can be connected and fixed to the back flame surface of the main phase change flame baffle 1a or the secondary phase change flame baffle 1b under thermal shock at the other end. The connecting pipe 4 connects the main cavity 6 inside the main phase change flame baffle 1a and the secondary phase change flame baffle 1b. The seawater auxiliary cooling plate 5 is arranged directly below the main phase change flame baffle 1a and the secondary phase change flame baffle 1b, and is in close contact with the main phase change flame baffle 1a and the secondary phase change flame baffle 1b through a high thermal conductivity pad 7 to reduce the heat transfer thermal resistance.

[0034] Figure 2The main phase change flame baffle 1a and the auxiliary phase change flame baffle 1b are composed of a high temperature resistant heat conductive layer 8 embedded on the flame facing surface of the main cavity (6), the main cavity 6, an adaptive piston plate 9 on the flame back surface, and an elastic slide rail 10 arranged on the inner wall of the main cavity 6. The main cavity 6 is filled with phase change material 3. The adaptive piston plate 9 is constrained by the elastic slide rail 10 and can perform piston motion parallel to the flame facing surface in the main cavity 6 under the action of external force.

[0035] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the operating principle of a phase-change thermal protection aircraft carrier flame deflector. Using the main phase-change flame deflector 1a as an example, the present invention details its operating principle during a carrier aircraft takeoff. During operation, the support rod 2 is fixedly connected to the adaptive piston plate 9 on the flame-back side, providing support. The thick black arrows in the diagram indicate the direction of the supporting force 11. Under the impact of the high-temperature, high-speed carrier aircraft's wake 12, the high-temperature-resistant, heat-conductive layer 8 on the flame-front side of the main phase-change flame deflector 1a is heated, melting the internal phase-change material 3. Simultaneously, under the combined effects of the high-speed wake's impact force 13 and the support rod's support force 11, the adaptive piston plate 9 passively pistons within the primary phase-change flame deflector 1a, forcing the solid phase-change material 3 toward the high-temperature-resistant heat-conducting layer 8 to maintain a continuous, efficient, and constant-temperature contact melting mode. Furthermore, the liquid phase-change material 3 at the melting front is passively squeezed by the adaptive piston plate 8 and expelled through the connecting tube 4 into the secondary phase-change flame deflector 1b. The thin arrows, representing the phase-change material migration direction 14, indicate the migration of the melted liquid phase-change material 3 between the primary and secondary phase-change flame deflectors 1a, 1b in this embodiment. The dashed arrows indicate the rotational direction of the primary phase-change flame deflector 1a about its axis of rotation during operation.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the switching working mode of the main phase change flame shield 1a and the auxiliary phase change flame shield 1b of the phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield. Figure 3 As shown in the compression and expulsion process, the phase change material 3 enters the secondary phase change flame shield 1b and is simultaneously cooled and solidified by the seawater auxiliary cooling plate 5 and restores its heat storage capacity, thereby forming a separate "melting-solidification coexistence" working mode of the phase change material 3 in the main phase change flame shield 1a and the secondary phase change flame shield 1b. When the phase change material 3 in the main phase change flame shield 1a is completely melted, the molten phase change material 3 in the secondary phase change flame shield 1b is also completely solidified.

[0037] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the cyclic operation of a phase-change thermal protection aircraft carrier flame deflector. The main phase-change flame deflector 1a and the secondary phase-change flame deflector 1b are rotatable 180° circumferentially via axial hinges. This cyclic switching of the main and secondary phase-change flame deflectors 1a, 1b, allows for uninterrupted and continuous operation. In one embodiment, the main phase-change flame deflector 1a is first raised and enters the operating state. The support rod 2 is fixedly connected to the back-flame surface of the main phase-change flame deflector 1a, supporting the adaptive piston plate 9. Under the impact of the high-temperature, high-speed carrier aircraft wake 12, the main phase-change flame deflector 1a achieves passive contact melting of the phase-change material 3 within the main cavity 6. Throughout the entire process of the carrier aircraft's ascent, the phase-change material 3 in the main phase-change flame deflector 1a is completely melted and regenerated in the secondary phase-change flame deflector 1b. Subsequently, the main phase-change flame deflector 1a rotates along its axis to recover. The auxiliary phase change flame deflector 1b is in the ready state, and the auxiliary phase change flame deflector 1b is raised and enters the working state. The support rod 2 is connected and fixed with the adaptive piston plate 9 on the back flame side of the auxiliary phase change flame deflector 1b. The high-temperature resistant heat conductive layer 8 on the front flame side of the auxiliary phase change flame deflector 1b blocks the wake 12 of another carrier-based aircraft. The phase change material 3 in the auxiliary phase change flame deflector 1b is completely melted and regenerated in the main phase change flame deflector 1a. Finally, the auxiliary phase change flame deflector 1b rotates around the rotating axis to restore to the ready state, ending a cycle of alternating and continuous working of the main phase change flame deflector 1a and the auxiliary phase change flame deflector 1b.

[0038] It will be understood that the present invention is described by way of some embodiments, and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or equivalent substitutions may be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, under the teachings of the present invention, these features and embodiments may be modified to adapt to specific circumstances and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application are intended to be protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. A phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield, characterized in that: The invention comprises a main phase-change flame-blocking plate (1a), a secondary phase-change flame-blocking plate (1b), a support rod (2), a phase-change material (3), a connecting pipe (4), and a seawater auxiliary cooling plate (5); the main phase-change flame-blocking plate (1a) and the secondary phase-change flame-blocking plate (1b) are connected by an axial hinge and can rotate 0-180 degrees in the circumferential direction to achieve switching of working modes; The main phase-change flame-blocking plate (1a) and the auxiliary phase-change flame-blocking plate (1b) are both composed of a main cavity (6), a high-temperature resistant heat-conducting layer (8) embedded on the flame-facing surface of the main cavity (6), and an adaptive piston plate (9) on the flame-backing surface; The phase change material (3) is filled in the main cavity (6), and the adaptive piston plate (9) is constrained by an elastic slide rail (10) arranged on the inner wall surface of the main cavity (6), and can perform piston movement parallel to the flame surface in the main cavity (6) under the action of external force; One end of the support rod (2) is fixed to the flight deck (15) of the aircraft carrier by means of a hinge connection, and its length and angle can be adjusted so as to be connected and fixed to the back flame surface of the main phase change flame baffle (1a) or the auxiliary phase change flame baffle (1b) under thermal shock at the other end; the connecting pipe (4) is connected to the main cavity (6) inside the main phase change flame baffle (1a) and the auxiliary phase change flame baffle (1b); the seawater auxiliary cooling plate (5) is arranged directly below the main phase change flame baffle (1a) and the auxiliary phase change flame baffle (1b), and is in close contact with the main phase change flame baffle (1a) or the auxiliary phase change flame baffle (1b) for cooling.

2. The phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall surface of the main cavity (6) is subjected to special surface treatment, including one strengthening method or multiple composite strengthening methods selected from the group consisting of spraying polymer nano coating, high temperature sintering porous layer, and chemical oxidation deposition micro-nano porous layer.

3. The phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-temperature resistant thermal conductive layer material of the flame-facing surface of the flame baffle has high temperature resistance and high thermal conductivity, including high-temperature titanium alloy, aluminum nitride ceramic or BeOt ceramic high-temperature resistant thermal conductive material. The main cavity and adaptive piston plate of the flame baffle are made of one of copper, aluminum, stainless steel and alloy materials.

4. The phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the seawater auxiliary cooling plate (5) is selected from a high-temperature corrosion-resistant material such as Monel400 copper-nickel alloy, NS333 solid solution strengthened nickel-based alloy and NS336 austenitic alloy that are resistant to seawater corrosion.

5. The phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phase change material (3) comprises one of a crystalline hydrated salt, a molten salt and a metal alloy high-temperature phase change material.

6. The phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield according to claim 1, characterized in that: The seawater auxiliary cooling plate (5) is cooled by being in close contact with the main phase change flame shield (1a) or the auxiliary phase change flame shield (1b) via a high thermal conductivity pad (7).

7. The method for using a phase change heat protection aircraft carrier flame shield according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Under the impact of the high-temperature and high-speed wake of the carrier-based aircraft, the high-temperature heat-conducting layer (8) on the flame-facing surface of the main phase-change flame-blocking plate (1a) melts the solid phase-change material (3) inside into a liquid state; at the same time, by means of the combined action of the high-speed wake on the flame-facing surface and the support rod (2) on the flame-back surface, the adaptive piston plate (9) passively presses the solid phase-change material (3) close to the high-temperature heat-conducting layer (8) to continuously maintain a high-efficiency constant-temperature contact melting mode, and the liquid phase-change material (3) at the melting front is also squeezed into the interior of the secondary phase-change flame-blocking plate (1b) through the connecting pipe (4); When the phase change material in the main phase change flame shield (1a) melts, the molten phase change material entering the auxiliary phase change flame shield (1b) is simultaneously cooled and solidified by the seawater auxiliary cooling plate (5) and the heat storage capacity is restored. The main phase change flame shield (1a) and the auxiliary phase change flame shield (1b) operate together to form a separate "melting-solidification coexistence" working mode of the phase change material. When the phase change material in the main phase change flame shield (1a) is completely melted, the molten phase change material in the auxiliary phase change flame shield (1b) is also completely solidified. The uninterrupted and continuous operation of the phase change flame shield is achieved by cyclically switching the main phase change flame shield (1a) and the auxiliary phase change flame shield (1b).

Images